Safety self-closing vehicle door hinge



Dec. 19, 1933. c, H. PRESTON SAFETY SELF CLOSING VEHICLE DOOR HINGEFiled Dec. 20. 1932 w Fig-3.

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9'90 2 4 6 0 1 4 7 INVENTOR v 1 CHARLES H. laes ou a1- Wig $5 -7.

BY ,g g ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE SAFETY SELF-CLOSING VEHICLE DOOR HINGE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a safetyself-closing vehicle door hinge.

The invention has for an object the construction of a hinge as mentionedwhich is characterized by the ability of 'naturally urging the vehicledoor into the closed position except limiting closing to a smalldistance from the true closed position so as not to catch a personsfingers and also so as not to slam closed the door which will thereafterautomatically lock.

Still further it is proposed to so arrange the door hinge with areleasable catch to lock the door in the slightly opened position toprevent persons from falling out of the vehicle during travel andfurther that upon certain motion of the door it is possible to move thedoor to the completely closed position.

Furthermore, it is proposed to construct a hinge from a pair of hingedlyconnected leaves which are urged together by resilient means toaccomplish the automatic closing of the door.

It is another object of this invention to provide a certain arrangementupon the hinged leaves so as to limit the closing as before specifiedand furthermore to allow complete closing when desired.

The invention still further proposes the construction of an article asmentioned which is simple and durable and which may be manufactured andsold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawing, and 'to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a vehicle having a doorequipped with hinges according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view showing in detail one of the hinges shownwith the leaves opened. up, and viewed from the inner side.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a. fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detailed elevational view looking in thedirection of the line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on the line 7-'7of Fig. 2.

In Fig. 1 a vehicle 10 is illustrated having a door 11 hingedly mountedat one side with the hinges 12. In the other figures the details of thehinges 12 are shown. These hinges are so constructed that the door 11 isautomatically urged into the closed position, but there is anarrangement whereby the closing of the door is limited to a nearlyclosed position, so that the free end of the door stops 1 inches fromits jamb so as to prevent possibility of clamping a person's fingertherebetween and also eliminates the possibility of the door closing andautomatically locking.

Each of the hinges comprises a pair of hingedly connected leaves 13 and14. The hinge connection between these leaves is accomplished by apintle rivet 15 engaged through interengaging prongs from the leaves.One of the leaves is adapted for attachment upon the jamb of the doorand the other upon the door in a manner so that the door may completelyclose with the hinges 13 and 14 pivoting together so as to touch ontheir inner sides, which are shown in Fig. 2 closest to a reader of thedrawing. A resilient means is provided for normally urging the leavestogether and comprises springs 16 arranged upon the rivet 15 and actingbetween the rivet and the leaves. The outer ends of the springs areengaged through diametric openings in the rivet while the inner endsextend slightly downwards against the outer sides of the leaves. Thesprings 16 serve tov pivot the leaves 13 and 14 closed.

A means is provided for limiting closing of the leaves to a slightlyopened position and consequently, correspondingly, a door, which thehinge supports. This limiting means comprises a. projection 17 on oneend of the leaves, namely leaf 14, as shown on the drawing, adapted toact against the leaf 13 or a part carried thereby so as to preventcomplete closing. Another means is provided for moving the part upon theleaf 13 out of position after complete closing of the leaves has beenprevented, upon slight opening of the'leaves and then moving them to theclosed position. More particularly a pair of superimposed movable blocks18, 19 are vertically slidably mounted upon the leaf 13 within a space20 in the leaf. These blocks are provided at the sides with reducededges or flanges engaging in recesses or grooves 21 formed'in the sidesof the opening 20 to accomplish the slidable mounting. A removable plate22 is shown upon the leaf I3 and serves to provide for the engaging andremoval when desired of the blocks within the opening 20.

The projection 17 is adapted to normally engage in a groove 23 formed inthe lower block 19. This groove 23 is shallower than the length of theprojection 17 so as to prevent complete closing of the leaves. A catchfinger 24 is mounted upon the leaf 14 and is adapted. to coact in acertain manner with the top block 18 for raising the top block andcausing an urge for the bottom block to move upwards in a manner so thatthe leaves may subsequently be slightly separated to disengage theprojection 17 from the groove 23 to allow the bottom block to moveupwards so that upon closing of the leaves the projection 17 engagesbeneath the block 19 and so the leaves may be completely closed.

The catch finger 24 is pivotally mounted at 25 within an opening 26formed in the leaf 14. The free end of the catch finger is formed with abeveled edge 27 adapted to engage under a hook 28 projecting from thetop block 18. This hook 28 is immediately to the front of an opening 29extending through the top block. The arrangement is such that thebeveled portion 27 may engage against the hook 28 to cause the top blockto move upwards and furthermore the beveled portion 27 may engage intothe opening 29 when the top block 18 has assumed the raised position.

A means is provided for resiliently connecting the top block 18 with thebottom block 19 and comprises a tension spring 28' within cavities inadjacent faces of the blocks, and at its ends respectively secured tosaid blocks. Thus when the top block is raised there will be an urge forthe bottom block to follow it except when it is held downwards. A spring29' is arranged coaxially upon the pivot of the catch finger 24 andserves to normally move the catch finger into a position in which thebeveled portion 27 slightly extends from the opening 26. This positionis shown in full lines in Fig. 7. Further, the catch finger 24 isprovided with a lug portion 30 near its pivot which is adapted to actagainst a face 31 of the opening 26 to limit outward pivoting of thecatch finger to a small distance, and a lip 30 from the leaf 14 preventsinward pivoting.

A means is also provided for latching the leaves in the partially closedposition against opening. The advantage of such construction lies in thefact that it will then be impossible for the vehicle door toaccidentally open even though not completely closed, especially duringtravel with the possibility of persons falling from the car. This meanscomprises a latch bolt 34 urged transversely across the groove 23 andadapted to engage in a keeper opening 35 formed upon the projection 17.The latch bolt 34 is resiliently urged outwards by a spring 36. Thisspring is mounted within a cavity formed in the leaf 13 and closed by aplate 3'7. A pair of fiexible cables 38 connect with the bolt 34 andpass through the spring 36 and extend from the bottom of the leaf 13 andare adapted to extend through passageways in the door 11 so that one ofthe flexible members is located outside of the door and the other on theinner side. In Fig. 1 the outside passageways are indicated by referencenumerals 39 and the flexible members 38 are shown extending therefrom.Rings 40 are attached upon the free ends of the flexible members 38. Itis necessary that the leaf 13 be connected to the door and the leaf 14be connected with the door jamb so that the flexible members may extendthrough the door as directed.

The operation of the device may be best understood by first assuming itin the position shown in Fig. 2. Now then, when a door equipped with thehinge is released the leaf 14 will move relatively towards the leaf 13until the projection 17 engages into the groove 23 and prevents furtherclosing. Of course, the door will be automatically urged into the closedposition by the springs 16. Immediately before the projection 17 engagesinto the base of the groove 23, the beveled portion 27 of the catchfinger will ride under the hook 28 lifting the block 18 relative to theblock 19 'in that the lower block 19 is being held by the partiallyinserted projection 17. When the projection 17 touches the base of thegroove 23 the hook 28 will reach its position immediately behind thebeveled portion 27 so as to be retained thereon. Furthermore, the bolt34 will pass through-the opening 35 and latch the leaf 14 relative tothe leaf 13.

The hinge now remains in this position indefinitely until the door ismanually moved. For example, the door may be reopened, or the door maybe completely closed. To completely close the door it is necessary thatit first be slightly reopened. Before the door may be slightly reopenedit is necessary that one of the flexible members 38 on each of thehinges on the door be first pulled to cause the bolts 34 to disengagefrom the keeper openings in the projections 17. It makes no differencewhether the flexible members from the outside of the door or the insideof the door be drawn. The catch finger 24 will maintain its hold uponthe hook 28 in that it may pivot about the point 25. If the door isopened too far the stop 30 will act against the face 31 and so cause thehook 28 to jump off or disengage from behind thebeveled portion 27.Consequently the small opening up of the door must be limited so thatsuch disengagement does not occur. It is necessary. that .the door beopened up sufficiently so that the projection 17 disengages from thegroove 23 whereupon the spring 28" will immediately lift the bottomblock 19. Then the door may be moved closed and this time the projection17 will ride in beneath the bottom block 19 to allow complete closing ofthe leaves and consequently complete closing of the door.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:--

1. A safety self-closing vehicle door hinge, comprising a pair of leaveshingedly connected, one for attachment upon a door jamb and the otherfor attachment upon a door, resilient means urging said leaves together,a pair of superimposed movable blocks vertically slidable on one of saidleaves and resiliently connected, a projection on the other of saidleaves adapted to engage into a shallow groove formed in the lower blockpreventing complete closing of the leaves, and means on said latter leaffor raising the top block as said projection engages in said shallowgroove and holding said top block raised as the a projection on theother of said leaves adapted to engage into a shallow groove formed inthe lower block preventing complete closing of the leaves, and means onsaid latter leaf for raising the top block as said projection engages insaid shallow groove and holding said top block raised as the leaf isslightly opened to disengage the projection from said groove, wherebythe bottom block moves up out of the path of the projection so that thedoor may be completely closed, a rivet engaging through said leavesserving to form the pivotal connection, and springs acting between saidrivet and said leaves for constituting the resilient means for urgingthe leaves together.

3. A safety self-closing vehicle door hinge,

comprising a pair of leaves hingedly connected one for attachment upon adoor jamb and the other for attachment upon a door, resilient meansurging said leaves together, a pair of superimposed movable blocks,vertically slidable on one of said leaves and resiliently connected, 9.projection on the other of said leaves adapted to engage into a shallowgroove formed in the lower block preventing complete closing of theleaves, and means on said latter leaf for raising the top block as saidprojection engages in said shallow groove and holding said top blockraised as the leaf is slightly opened to disengage the projection fromsaid groove, whereby the bottom block moves up out of the path of theprojection so that the door may be completely closed, said movableblocks being disposed within an opening in said leaf.

4. A safety self-closing vehicle door hinge, comprising a pair of leaveshingedly connected, one for attachment upon a door jamb and the otherfor attachment upon a door, resilient means urging said leaves together,a pair of superimposed movable blocks vertically slidable on one of saidleaves and resiliently connected, 9. projection on the other of saidleaves adapted to engage into a shallow groove formed in the lower blockpreventing complete closing of the leaves, and means on said latter leaffor raising the top block as said projection engages in said shallowgroove and holding said top block raised as the leaf is slightly openedto disengage the projection from said groove, whereby the bottom blockmoves up out of the path of the projection so that the door maybecompletely closed, said latter means comprising a catch finger pivotallymounted at one end within an opening in said leaf, and being formed atthe other end with a beveled portion adapted to engage beneath a hookformed upon said top comprising a pair of leaves hingedly connected, onefor attachment upon a door jamb and the other for attachment upon adoor, resilient means urging said leaves together, a pair ofsuperimposed movable blocks vertically slidablex on one of said leavesand resiliently connected, a projection on the other of said leavesadapted j to engage into a shallow groove formed in the, lower blockpreventing complete closing of the leaves, means on said latter leaf forraising the top block as said projection engages in said shallow grooveand holding said top blockraised as the leaf is slightly opened todisengage the projection from said groove, whereby the bottom blockmoves up out of the path of the projection so that the door may becompletely closed, and means for latching the leaves in the saidpartially closed position.

6. A safety self closing vehicle door hinge,

comprising a pair of leaves hingedly connected,

one for attachment upon a door jamb and the other for attachment upon adoor, resilient means for urging said leaves together, a projection onone leaf engageable with an element on the other leaf for preventingcomplete closing of the leaves and maintaining a partially closedposition when the leaves initially move closed from the completelyopened position, and means for moving said element out of the path ofsaid projection when the leaves are slightly opened from said partiallyclosed position. so

that the door may be completely closed.

7. A safety self closing vehicle door hinge, comprising a pair of leaveshingedly connected, one for attachment upon a door jamb and the otherfor attachment upon a door, resilient means for urging said leavestogether, a projection on one leaf engageable with an element on theother leaf for preventing complete closing of the leaves and maintaininga partially closed position when the leaves initially move closed fromthe completely opened position,

means for moving said element out of the path of said projection whenthe leaves are slightly opened from said partially closed position sothat the door may be completely closed, and means for locking saidleaves in the partially closed position and manually releasable.

8. A safety self closing vehicle door hinge, comprising a pair of leaveshingedly connected,

one for attachment upon a door jamb and'the.

other for attachment upon a door, resilient means for urging said leavestogether, a projection on one leaf engageable with an element releasingthe catch and extending to the exterior.

CHARLES H. PRESTON;

